Angel with a Shotgun
Chapter 2: Stratagem
Robin didn't even break a sweat. He knew Gotham like the back of his hand. Running across rooftops was easy, like a second nature to him. Firing off a grapple, he jumped into the air and swung across the street and onto another apartment building. He crawled down the fire escape, moving as silently as a ninja.
Barbara sighed and flopped down on her comfy bed. She just got grilled by her dad for breaking curfew. She and Dick had a movie marathon at the manor and she was a half hour late. And now, she was grounded.
Great.
Robin peered into her open bedroom window. "Babs!" he whispered.
Barbara jumped and clamped a hand over her mouth to stifle her squeal of surprise. Looking over and realizing it was Robin, she sighed and relaxed. She walked to her window, looking extremely irritated.
"You know, this is Gotham, right?" Robin asked, folding his arms. He smirked. "You really shouldn't be leaving your window open at night."
"I just needed some fresh air," Barbara said, leaning forward on the window sill. "I figured I should get as much as I can now, since I'm grounded."
"Aw," Robin teased, "did the Commish's kid get punished?" When he reached forward to pinch her cheek, she slapped his hand away.
"Watch it, shorty."
"Hey," Robin warned, "you seem to forget that I'm a whole inch taller than you now."
"Doesn't mean you're tall." Barbara leaned forward and pecked him on the cheek. "And besides, it's your fault I'm grounded, anyway."
"Let me make it up to you," Robin offered.
Barbara raised an eyebrow. "Oh?" she challenged. "And how exactly do you plan on doing that?"
"Wahoo!"
Batgirl swung from building to building, grinning like the Joker. That familiar rush of adrenaline coursed through her veins and she felt invincible.
Robin cackled as he followed her. "Do you forgive me now, BG?" He dodged a kick she aimed at him and tumbled onto an apartment building rooftop. Batgirl launched herself at him and he caught her by the waist. He stumbled backwards until his back hit a wall. Her lips met his and she sighed softly against his skin.
"Do you ever wonder what would happen if you weren't Robin?"
He looked sideways at her with an eyebrow raised. The two vigilantes were nestled on top of Gotham Academy's roof. They were lying down on the slanted surface with a blanket tucked underneath them. "No. Why?"
Batgirl shrugged. "I just sometimes think about who you'd be if Batman hadn't taken you under his wing," she said.
Robin looked up at the sky. If he was honest with himself, he actually hadthought about that before. It wasn't exactly healthy. He shrugged. "I guess I'd just grow up like any normal kid," he said simply.
Batgirl looked at him. "You told me why your ID is Robin," she said, "but who are you gonna be after?"
"After?" He frowned at her.
"Yeah," Batgirl said. "You once told me that you know you can't stay Robin forever. And you also told me that…you didn't want to become…him."
Robin sighed and tucked his arms underneath his head. "I'm not sure," he said. "You know I can't be Batman."
"I know," Batgirl assured him. "I know that training simulation thing really shook you up."
He nodded. "You know," he said, "Uncle Clark told me an interesting story the other day about a folk hero on Krypton…"
The sniper zoomed in on the two through his lens. "Should I terminate them, sir?" he asked in a gruff voice. He was crouched down on the top of a tall building.
A large, dark figure standing next to the sniper raised his hand to signal no. "Let them live," he said. "I have a plan. I need them alive."
"Yes, sir," the sniper said obediently. He lowered his weapon and stood. "When will we put this plan into action?"
"Soon," the man said. "I just have a few small arrangements to take care of first."
"Team, report to the mission room."
Red Tornado pulled up a holographic screen as the Team filed in.
"Hey, where's Bats?" Kid Flash asked.
"Batman and Robin are taking care of some business in Gotham," Red Tornado said.
Batgirl folded her arms and scoffed. "Yeah," she said, "the Joker. Batman ordered me to stay here since I'm 'still a rookie'." She rolled her eyes.
"So, what's up?" Superboy asked.
"While the Joker is being handled," Red Tornado said, "other criminals of Gotham have broken out of Arkham and are running amuck through the city."
"Aw, sweet!" Kid Flash said, pumping his fist in the air. "We get to show Rob that what he does isn't so hard."
"Hey!" Batgirl said. She whacked him on the arm.
"Ow!"
"Miss Martian," Red Tornado said, "prepare the bio ship. You must arrive in Gotham in 10 minutes."
The Team nodded and ran off to the hangar.
Robin dodged a swing from Harley Quinn's hammer. He flipped backwards and threw a gas pellet at her. It exploded in her face and he followed through with a punch to the face.
Harley Quinn squealed as she fell backwards. Robin towered over her. She leapt to her feet and the end of her hammer opened up a hatch to reveal a rocket. Robin's eyes went wide. The rocker fired and slammed into his gut. It exploded and sent him flying back into a brick wall. He heard something crack before he slid to the ground.
Batman glanced back at him. "Robin!" he cried. The Joker laughed and stuck a taser into his stomach. Batman crumpled to his knees and Joker slammed him in the face with the butt of his knife.
Robin groaned. He felt a gloved hand drag him away before he blacked out.
"Ugh." Rocket looked around at the dark surroundings. "Why are we in a sewer?" she asked.
Batgirl hopped down after her. The rest of the team followed. "Killer Croc was last seen heading down here," she explained. "So, we follow the current and track him."
"Why can't we do that above ground?" Kid Flash asked. He caught a whiff of a putrid smell. "Ew!" he yelped, clamping his hands over his nose.
"Suck it up," Artemis said. "You get used to the smell, living in Gotham."
Batgirl smiled at her.
Aqualad dove into the filthy water. "I shall follow Croc ahead," he said. "Miss Martian, Rocket, follow me from above." The two girls flew over him as he swam in the water.
"Come on," Batgirl said. She took off in a run and the others followed. Batgirl pulled up her glove computer. "I have a lock on Croc's location," she said. "Kid Flash, take the right tunnel and cut him off."
"Got it," Kid Flash said. He pulled down his goggles and zoomed down the right tunnel.
The four remained down the first tunnel.
BOOM.
Zatanna and Batgirl cried out as Clayface burst from the right wall and grabbed them. Artemis raised her bow and Superboy prepared to jump.
"No!" Batgirl protested. "You two go help the others with Croc. We got this!"
Artemis and Superboy hesitated, but reluctantly ran off.
Batgirl wriggled a pellet into her hand and threw it down on the ground. It exploded in a bright flash of light.
"Retaw ot sdnib!" Zatanna cried. The water at Clayface's feet suddenly solidified and wrapped around his legs and arms. He dropped the two girls.
Batgirl took out three batarangs and threw them. They stuck in Clayface's chest and slowly sunk into his body. He laughed and transformed his hand into a hammer. He slammed it down and Batgirl and Zatanna jumped to the side.
Clayface shot his arms out and enveloped the two girls in goop. It slowly travelled up and down their bodies, fully encasing them in muck. They struggled, but couldn't break free. The muck travelled up their necks and onto their faces. Red electricity shot out from Clayface's arms and struck them. Their screams of agony came out muffled.
Batgirl's arm clawed out and went for her utility belt. She grabbed a batarang and stabbed it into Clayface's arm. It shocked him and he cried out. His arms reduced back to his sides and Batgirl and Zatanna were freed.
"Enots pord nwod!" Zatanna chanted. The stone ceiling crumbled down on his head. Batgirl and Zatanna ran out as everything tumbled down. They fell to the ground.
Zatanna ran a hand through her mucky hair and grinned. "I need a shower," she said, laughing slightly.
Batgirl laughed and sighed.
Aqualad, Miss Martian, and Rocket moved along the tunnel. Killer Croc burst out of the water and tackled Aqualad. The two tumbled to the side. Kid Flash zoomed around the corner and slammed into the mutant's side.
Artemis and Superboy ran up. She shot an arrow and it encased Killer Croc's chest in ice. He roared and beat the frozen water from his body.
"Where are Batgirl and Zatanna?" Miss Martian asked.
"They're taking care of Clayface," Superboy said. He bolted forward and grabbed Croc by the waist. He hoisted him into the air and threw him into the wall.
Killer Croc got to his feet and punched through the wall behind him. He ran through and the Team followed him. Killer Croc ran down a long hallway and dove straight into a waterfall.
"Whoa!" Kid Flash said, skidding to a stop at the end. "I am not—"
"Follow me!" Aqualad ordered. He dove down after Croc and whipped out his water bearers.
Kid Flash groaned in reluctance. He held his breath and jumped down after him. The others followed.
Croc submerged in an open concrete room, shaped like a large circle. The Team climbed out of the water just as Croc pulled out a trigger. He pressed the red button and a large pylon rose from the center of the circle. It sparked blue and shot each member of the team with an electric blue blast. They all cried out and fell back into the water.
Croc grinned and turned towards the exit.
Aqualad lifted the water and transformed it into a snake-shaped wave. He rode the wave across the room and blasted Killer Croc. The villain fell to the ground. He pressed the trigger again.
The ceiling shook and rubble fell down.
"It's a bomb!" Kid Flash cried.
"We must leave!" Aqualad said. The Team ran out a side hallway. Artemis turned and fired an arrow. A bola shot out from the arrowhead and wrapped around Croc's body. He roared in rage as the ceiling collapsed on him with a boom.
Robin groaned. He opened his eyes to find that he was lying down on the floor of a dark room. A single spot of light shined down on him. He sat up and rubbed his aching head. He stood up and looked around. Instinct told him to take out a weapon, but his utility belt was gone.
Suddenly, another spotlight turned on about fifteen feet away. Robin took a fighting stance. A large, dark figure stood under the spotlight. He wore a halfback, half bronze mask and a militaristic suit. The black side had no eye.
"Deathstroke," Robin growled.
"Ah, so you've heard of me," the villain said. He smiled underneath his mask. "Good."
Robin narrowed his eyes. "What do you want with me?"
Nighthawk ran out onto the battlefield. He threw an electric bola at a soldier and pulled a rocket launcher from his back. He aimed it at an enemy plane and shot it out of the sky. The pilot ejected.
"Nighthawk!"
His hand went to the comm. in his ear. "Yeah, boss?"
"Meet with Gamma Squad back at the base," Eiling said.
"But, sir, the soldiers—"
"That's an order!"
Nighthawk sighed. He turned around and ran back to their base. He saluted to Sigma Squad as he ran. They saluted back. He burst into the base doors.
"There you are!" Eiling said. "C'mere, son!" Nighthawk ran to his side. "You and Gamma gotta infiltrate a building, coordinates x:35, y:92, z:74. You got that?"
"Yes, sir," Nighthawk said. Gamma Leader ran out the back entrance and Nighthawk followed.
They arrived in a tank at the building. It looked old and ready to crumble. It was in an old town full of white buildings and dead trees.
"Why are we here?" one young soldier asked.
Gamma Leader climbed out. "A piece of stolen information is being held here," he said. "We gotta get it back.
Formation 9, Plan 7, go!"
They all ran off and each climbed into the building at a different point. Nighthawk climbed up to the fourth floor where some soldiers were positioned at the windows with guns pointed out. He climbed up to the top floor where Gamma Leader was typing away at a computer.
"Need some help, Mike?"
"This computer is stubborn," he said. "I can't hack it."
"Let me try," Nighthawk said. He climbed over a chair and plugged his glove computer into the machine. He narrowed his masked eyes in concentration. "I can't find the file."
"Keep looking," Mike said. There was a boom below them and the entire building shook. "And be quick about it!"
"Got it!" Nighthawk said. A bead of sweat dripped down his forehead.
Mike positioned himself in the open doorway with his gun ready. The sound of heavy footsteps thundered through the building.
"Hawk…" Mike said.
"I got it!" Nighthawk said. He yanked his glove computer out and took out a grapple. Mike kicked the door shut. "Come on!" Mike grabbed onto Nighthawk and he fired off the grapple. The door burst open and soldiers poured in. Nighthawk latched the grapple onto Mike's uniform, stuck the flashdrive with the stolen information into his pocket, and kicked him out. Mike flew out the window in the grapple line.
"What are you doing?" he yelled.
"Get the information back to Eiling!" Nighthawk yelled. He took out his electric brass knuckles and charged towards the enemy soldiers.
Mike hit the ground and rolled to a stop. He looked up at the building as an enemy soldier crashed out of the window. His soldiers ran out of the entrance.
"Where's Nighthawk?" one asked.
"Still inside," Mike said. He turned to another soldier. "Get the tank ready!" he ordered. "We have to get this information back to the General!"
BOOM.
Everyone looked up as the building exploded.
"No!" Mike screamed. The building crumbled down to the ground in a mushroom cloud and fire. "Nighthawk!"
His eyes shot open. He should be dead. He felt the explosion. He heard it. What happened?
Nighthawk got to his feet. He was in a dimly lit room. It seemed very small and there was a single computer in front of him. The screen sparked to life and a man's masked face appeared on the screen. "Deathstroke!" Nighthawk snarled. "What have you done?"
"Patience, Nighthawk," the villain said. "You will find all of your answers soon enough."
Nighthawk narrowed his eyes. "What do you want with me?"
He could tell he was smiling under that mask. "It's simple," Deathstroke said. "You work for me or I kill your friends."
"That threat's getting a little old, dude," Nighthawk said. "You don't have a gun to my friends' heads."
"No," Deathstroke agreed. "I have something much better." That ice cold tone sent chills down Nighthawk's spine.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean that at this very moment, microscopic probes run through the veins of Aqualad, Kid Flash, Artemis, Miss Martian, Superboy, and Rocket. These probes will cause them extreme pain. I can make them suffer at any given moment with the simple push of a button." He held the trigger up for him to see.
"Where are you, you filthy bag of scum?" Nighthawk demanded. He pounded his fist on the computer. "Tell me!"
"Patience," Deathstroke said. "I have a proposition for you. You can join me and be my apprentice, or I murder your little girlfriend."
Nighthawk's eyes shot wide open. He punched the surface of the computer, cracking the screen that displayed the villain's face. "I won't let you hurt Zatanna!"
"You want her safe?" Deathstroke asked. "I also have probes in her bloodstream. But hers are different from those of your friends'. These probes are lethal." Nighthawk snarled. "With one push of a button, she could die. And I hold the trigger." Deathstroke closed the cap over the small button. "I'm aware that you once held the mantle of Red X, correct?" Nighthawk said nothing. "You be my apprentice, do my dirty work as Red X, and your friends will be unharmed."
Nighthawk clenched his teeth. "They have to think I'm dead," he said. "Let them think that explosion killed me."
Robin glared at Deatstroke. "If I join you, they won't be harmed?" he asked.
"That's correct."
"And you won't touch Batgirl?"
"The girl keeps her life," Deathstroke promised.
"Do we have a deal?"
"...I'll do what you want."
AN: And, there's chapter 2! I'm really exicted about this story and I hope you guys are, too. Not really a cliffhanger I left you with, but this chapter was suspenseful. Stay tuned for the next chapter. I've had this plot in my head for a long time, so I'll be cranking out chapters really fast.
Please review!